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March 30, 2014

Series Sunday: Divergent

(Divergent #1)

Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

Read an installment of a series.

Share your review/recommendation below.

Include the title, author and series name.

"Welcome to the day we honor the democratic philosophy of our ancestors, which tells us that every man has the right to choose his own way in this world. Or, it occurs to me, one of five predetermined ways." ~ pg. 32

My Series Sunday pick is Divergent, the first book in the Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth. Beatrice "Tris" Prior is a sixteen-year-old living in dystopian Chicago. The city is divided into five factions (groups formed to seek a single-minded goal):

Abnegation (the selfless)

Amity (the peaceful)

Candor (the honest)

Dauntless (the brave)

Erudite (the intelligent)

On an appointed day, all 16 year olds are given simulation tests and the chance to pick which faction to devote the rest of their lives to. Beatrice must decide whether to stay with her Abnegation family or transfer to Erudite or Dauntless. In the initiation process, Tris is struggling to rank high among peers and keep a secret hidden that could mean death if it is revealed.

The unexpected romance took a backseat. It took me 64% into the book to "get it." I couldn't understand why it was a bad thing, let alone dangerous, to be divergent. What is wrong with being multi-faceted? Then it clicked. The government wants to control society and have everyone act and think according to their assigned factions. Divergents pose a threat because they belong to more than one faction and cannot be conditioned or predictable. Divergents' brains are spread across different factions making it impossible for the government to control them. So bottom line, divergents must be killed. Sound confusing? You are not alone; but that is my explanation. Readers of the series, please chime in with your thoughts. Then check back soon for my rating of the movie adaptation. I hope it is clearer on the big screen.

My edition is the complete series collection. It includes Q&A with the author, quotations that inspired Divergent, a playlist, writing tips, and a faction quiz with results (my favorite of the bonus material).

Other than the obvious confusion of the plot, I look forward to watching the movie adaptation and continuing the series. I don't know where the author came up with this idea but the thought of factions is not unrealistic. I can totally see the world being divided into personality groups and controlled by the government. Wait—isn't that already happening?